TAIWAN, HAWAII IN SENIOR SERIES FINAL

Coach Cal Waugh said his team from Fort Wayne, Ind., wasn't intimidated by Ping-Tung, Taiwan, before the game. But after the game, he was in awe of the hitting prowess of the team representing the Far East.

Taiwan pounded out 15 hits and held Fort Wayne to two Friday en route to a 9-0 victory and a chance to play for the Senior League World Series championship today against Pearl City, Hawaii, at Osceola County Stadium.

Pearl City is the only undefeated team left in the tournament. Taiwan will have to win twice to keep the title in Taiwan.

Beforee the championship game, St. Cloud will play Germany for third place.

St. Cloud defeated Fort Wayne, 4-3, in eight innings as Mike Farrow bunted home Jason Raub with the winning run. St. Cloud had rallied from a 2-0 deficit and had failed on two occasions to bring home the winning run.

"(It was) a wonderful game, right down to the wire," St. Cloud manager Tom Rose said.

Taiwan often had Fort Wayne's outfielders scurrying backward for balls hit over their heads. Five of Taiwan's hits were doubles, including at least one that reached the 390-foot mark on one hop.

"I have never seen kids hit the ball that far in my life," Fort Wayne manager Cal Waugh said.

He was equally impressed with the pitching of Tsao Chun-Yang, who never got into trouble. Tsao went the distance, striking out six and walking one. Only one Fort Wayne batter, Jeff Spizak, reached second base, and that was after he struck out in the first inning.

Taiwan had its bats working often. Tsao helped his cause by doubling home the first run in the second inning. He scored on Ko Chin-Wen's double. Taiwan also scored two runs in the third, two in the fifth and three in the seventh.

"I don't like them, but I hope they win the World (Series)," Waugh said. "Then we can say we lost to the best."

The championship game, which begins at 2 p.m., will be the second meeting between Taiwan and Pearl City. Pearl City defeated Taiwan, 4-3, in nine innings Tuesday night.

"We were surprised by the play of the U.S. West team," Taiwan manager Wang Tang said through an interpreter. "Also that game, our team didn't do its best."